Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Lovely Yocheryl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Lovely Yocheryl’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plants; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; coral pink-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Lovely Yocheryl’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Lovely Yocheryl’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is tocreate new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescenceswith desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and goodgarden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Regal Yocheryl, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 13,974. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population ofplants of the cultivar Regal Yocheryl in a controlled environment inAlva, Fla. in April, 2003. The selection of this plant was based on itsdesirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and goodgarden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingsin a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2003, has shownthat the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Lovely Yocheryl has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Lovely Yocheryl’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Lovely Yocheryl’ as a newand distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with elongated        oblong-shaped ray florets.

5. Coral pink-colored ray florets.

-   -   6. Natural season flowering in early October in the Northern        Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar RegalYocheryl, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivarRegal Yocheryl had purple-colored ray florets. In addition, plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum flowered about one to three days earlier thanplants of the cultivar Regal Yocheryl when grown under natural seasonconditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum cultivar Yopam, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,844.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yopam in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller but more mounded        than plants of the cultivar Yopam.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than        plants of the cultivar Yopam.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of the cultivar Yopam.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yopam        differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar        Yopam had slightly darker-colored ray florets.    -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about four days        later than plants of the cultivar Yopam when grown under natural        season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum cultivar Amor Coral, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,067. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Amor Coral inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more durable than and        not as brittle as than plants of the cultivar Amor Coral.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of the cultivar Amor Coral.    -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more        coral/less lavender in color than ray florets of plants of the        cultivar Amor Coral.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about ten days later        than plants of the cultivar Amor Coral when grown under        warm-climate natural season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Lovely Yocheryl’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of the cultivar ‘Lovely Yocheryl’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington,Ontario, Canada during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse andunder conditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. Rooted cuttings wereplanted in 15.25-cm containers, grown under artificial long dayconditions (four-hour night interruption) and pinched about ten dayslater. About ten days after the pinch, plants were then exposed toartificial short day conditions (11.5 hours light) until flowering.During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 18° C. to38° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typicalflowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Lovely    Yocheryl.-   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Regal Yocheryl, disclosed in U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 13,974.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days            at 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous            decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with            mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then outwardly            spreading; compact and mounded growth habit. Freely            branching with about seven primary branches. Moderately            vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 11.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 21 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Internode length: About 7.5 mm. Aspect: Upright and            outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.        -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:            About 4.6 cm. Width: About 3.2 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:            Truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,            sinuses mostly divergent. Texture, upper surface: Pubescent.            Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color:            Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker            green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: Darker green than 147B. Venation, upper            surface: More green than 147A. Venation, lower surface:            Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 1.3 cm. Petiole            diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color, upper surface: Close            to 147A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to 146A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray            florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. About nine            inflorescences per lateral branch.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.        -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About            4 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower            surface of phyllaries): Close to 146A to more green than            147A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.3 cm. Disc diameter: About 3.5 mm. Receptacle            diameter: About 5 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong-shaped. Length: About            1.4 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Corolla tube length: About 3 mm.            Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Mostly emarginate.            Margin: Fused. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Orientation: Initially upright, then            eventually perpendicular to the peduncle. Number of ray            florets per inflorescence: About 152 in numerous whorls.            Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close            to 155D overlain with close to 64A; color becoming lighter            coral pink with development. When opening and fully opened,            lower surface: Close to 155D underlain with close to 64A;            color becoming closer to 155D with development.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 3 mm.            Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm. Number of            disc florets per inflorescence: About 36. Color: Immature:            Close to 9A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close            to 154D. Base: Close to 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:            About 6 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.            Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface:            Close to 146A to more green than 147A.        -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 2.7 cm. Fourth            peduncle: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength:            Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: Close to 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to            12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on            both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4 mm. Style            color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been    observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from    0° C. to more than 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘LovelyYocheryl’, as illustrated and described.